


A Matter of Taste

by Nadare



Category: One Piece
Genre: Alternate Universe - Cats, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Chef Vinsmoke Sanji, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friendship, Gen, One Shot, Zoro is a Cat
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:27:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,233
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24934495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nadare/pseuds/Nadare
Summary: When a new human moves into his territory, Zoro discovers the joys of having his own personal chef.
Relationships: Roronoa Zoro & Vinsmoke Sanji
Comments: 6
Kudos: 87





	A Matter of Taste

_A/N: Just some basic fluff that popped up in my head._

* * *

_**“A Matter of Taste”**_  
One Piece AU One-shot 

As a stray cat who had the run of the town for years and firmly staked out his territory with the scars to prove it, Zoro had sampled something from nearly every house that fell within his purview. 

It was rare when people could look at him, notice he was somewhat handicapped by the loss of an eye, and still turn him away. Zoro made special note of such humans and made sure to bother them if he could later on down the line.

Only one house in his territory laid dormant for a long time until Zoro noticed one night that the lights were lit inside its walls. He stayed to the shadows, curious about who had taken the house.

Eventually, the new human came out through the sliding glass door at the back entrance to the house, a cigarette carton and a lighter in one hand.

The end of his cigarette flared red in short order, the tall blond man tipping his head up as he inhaled. Zoro took in the curly eyebrow, blue eyes, and muscular physique, about to mark him as uninteresting until an aroma rose from the man’s clothes. 

Fish. He stank of fish. 

Racing out from the darkness, Zoro wasted no time in approaching Blondie, taking a seat on the edge of the patio, his tail twitching. If the smell on him was anything to go by, he must have been near some fish not too long ago.

Blowing out smoke from his mouth, Blondie knelt down, surveying Zoro with a raised eyebrow. 

“You startled the hell out of me,” he said quietly. “I guess I moved into your territory, huh?”

While he could understand human speech, that was as far as communication between them could go, Zoro restricted to his own feline vocabulary. He meowed back, raising one paw in a bid to convince Blondie to go back inside and fetch some food.

Blondie blinked at him in confusion until he looked down at his sleeve, then raised it to his nose, taking a sniff. “I washed my hands well at the restaurant, but I guess my clothes still smell of fish. Good nose.” His forehead knitted for a second. “Actually, I have some left if you want it.”

Zoro tilted his head, growing impatient that Blondie wasn’t moving yet. The man laughed under his breath. “All right, I’ll take that as a yes then. Be right back.”

It took more than a few minutes, Zoro filling the time as he waited rubbing his scent over every surface he could reach, marking the backyard as his own. He retreated quickly back to his previous spot when Blondie came back out holding a food dish. 

Zoro kept his distance until the man had put the dish down before shooting forward, pausing as he noticed that there was more than just salmon in it. He looked back up at Blondie questionably, wondering what he was trying to pull. 

“What?” he responded testily. “It’s free food, you can’t afford to be picky, can you?”

Grumbling, Zoro took a tiny bite of the concoction and stilled. He couldn’t pinpoint everything that had been added, but eggs, spinach, cheese, and more were striking all the right flavor notes. It was so delicious Zoro inhaled all of it far too soon for his liking. 

He licked the empty bowl thoroughly, not willing to leave a single tidbit of the exquisite meal behind. 

“Good, huh?” Blondie’s smile was wide and happy as he leaned closer, the cigarette he’d been nursing almost finished. “I’m glad it met your approval.”

Sensing sudden movement in front of him, Zoro leaped back, his hackles rising along with the fur along his back. Blondie had tried to touch him, his expression disappointed as he stood up, holding his hands up in a show of contrition. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you.”

Gradually calming down, Zoro huffed out a breath, sitting back down on his haunches. He licked his chops, his taste buds still singing. Lifting a paw up, he proceeded to groom himself, paying no mind to what else Blondie could offer him now that his belly was full.

“Right, I see how it is.” Grinding his cigarette into the ashtray on the glass patio table, the man sighed. “Still, it was nice having company.” 

Watching Zoro silently, Blondie grinned. “One good thing about my job is I always have leftovers on hand. Zeff and I at least agree on the Baratie’s no-waste policy if nothing else.”

He cleared his throat. “Feel free to come back and I’ll cook for you again. Just don’t expect three square meals a day, okay?”

Zoro would have laughed if he could. Now that he had found such a valuable resource and talent, of course he would exploit it as much as he could. So long as Blondie was willing anyway. 

* * *

Thus began a new daily routine. 

Zoro would nap long into late morning, then make his rounds, scavenging water and food from other places with kind humans. Yet after tasting Blondie’s food, he couldn’t help but find it subpar and ate their offerings more out of politeness than relish. 

Once evening had come, Zoro would travel to Blondie’s backyard and wait until the man came home. He’d moved from the edge of the patio to the table situated near the back entrance, staring through the glass panes. 

Zoro sometimes caught glimpses of him moving between rooms, Blondie’s tasks remarkably similar to Zoro’s own, though the thought of using the shower filled him with repulsion. Such a shame humans had shed most of their fur. 

“There you are,” Blondie said, peeking his head out of the sliding door. “I’ve got a treat for you.”

Kneading his paws in excitement, Zoro sat tight with bated breath, eager to see what goodies the man had for him tonight. 

“Pleasing a cat’s palate is a nice challenge so here’s hoping you like this.” Blonde laid the food dish down and stepped back, maintaining his distance.

He hadn’t tried to touch Zoro since the first night, which he greatly appreciated. Too many humans assumed because Zoro was a stray and not feral he could be easily tamed, but it’d been years since he allowed someone to pet him.

Putting his head down and sniffing the round blue things resting atop white rice and shredded chicken in the dish, Zoro bit the edge of one, making a face when its juice hit his tongue.

The taste was tart but not unpleasant, Zoro going back for seconds, beginning to like the way the blue liquid leaked down and flavored the food beneath it. 

Taking a seat in the chair a little ways from the table, Blondie looked pleased. “Like the blueberries, do you? Good, I’ll add them to the list.”

Was that what they were called? Zoro committed the word to memory, digging into the remainder of the meal, trusting Blondie to do his usual smoking bit. Not that he understood why the man poisoned himself on a regular basis. Humans could be very stupid that way. 

“I wonder how you lost your eye. It’s healed up well,” Blondie said off-handedly, eyeing Zoro with interest. 

Glancing at the man, Zoro meowed, telling him that it was that jerk Mihawk who’d done it during a fight. He’d passed out a few days afterward and woke up to find himself in a strange place full of other caged animals that smelled weird. As soon as he was able, Zoro had escaped and vowed he was never going back if he could help it.

Blondie chuckled. “I didn’t quite understand that, but I imagine it was quite the tale.” He’d gone through one cigarette, a finger tapping the top of his knee, probably considering lighting another one.

Zoro never thought he would have gotten used to the smell, yet he had, hardly noticing it on the man anymore. It’d simply become part and parcel of Blondie. “It’s been a long day and I’m sure you’re off to whatever you call home. Unless you want to come in?”

Looking askew at him, Zoro narrowed his eyes. Dwellings with humans weren’t desirable in the least.

“Yep, that’s what I figured. Had to give a try, didn’t I?” Blondie waved a hand at him as he started for the sliding door. “See you tomorrow then.”

He responded in kind with his tail, Zoro jumping down from the table. 

It was a date. 

* * *

And so it went for weeks that turned into months, summer making its arrival with a bang. The ensuing heatwave brought its own difficulties. Blondie adapted by buying a giant umbrella for the patio table and always kept water out for Zoro in a shady area of the backyard. 

Given he tried to conserve his energy during the hotter parts of the day and he could only groom himself so much in order to keep cool, Zoro appreciated the extra effort the man had made on his behalf. 

Though it was strange, on one evening, Blondie didn’t even come out the house at all, Zoro’s food simply waiting for him when he arrived at the usual time. Quickly tucking into the meal, a mixture of lamb, corn, and sweet potato, Zoro ate it slowly, wanting to savor it while it lasted. 

Loud laugher from inside Blondie’s house made Zoro’s head rise from the food dish as he finished, curious as to the source. He padded closer to the glass doors after ascending onto the table, the position affording him a view of the living room where Blondie sat next to a human woman with short orange hair, an arm over her shoulders as they sat watching a bright flat screen before them. 

Ah, Blondie had found a mate. Little wonder he had other matters on his mind than one stray cat. 

Wishing him the best and thinking he should consider indulging in a little fun himself, Zoro went on his way.

* * *

Sadly, the next time Zoro saw Blondie, he was alone once again. It swiftly became a pattern, a veritable parade of human women coming and going out of the man’s life. Almost as if he couldn’t keep himself from sampling a variety. 

Zoro never made a point of keeping a mate around, not when cats were only interested in the physical act anyway. Staying a bachelor was definitely fine with him. 

However, he knew some humans were different, staying with a mate their whole lifespan. Given how long humans lived, far longer than cats, Zoro had always been impressed with such dedication, even if he didn’t necessarily understand why they limited themselves like that.

Putting the matter aside, Zoro entered Blondie’s backyard, the sight of the man sitting in the patio chair welcome. The weather had turned to the cool side now that the season had turned to fall, Blondie wearing more clothes than usual.

His expression was somber, one side of his mouth rising as Zoro approached the patio. “You haven’t missed one night since we met,” Blondie said, tapping the edge of his cigarette on the ashtray. “At least you really like me. Well, my food, which I’ve always seen as an extension of myself anyway.” 

Yep, Blondie had lost another mate again. He wasn’t very successful at keeping them around long.

The man put a hand on his forehead, looking down at the table. “Dammit, Sanji, what’s wrong with you?” 

Zoro paused on his way to the food dish, the aroma of fish whiffing in the air, glancing back. Sanji? What that Blondie’s name? He preferred his own nickname for the human. 

Spying a hint of wetness in Sanji’s eyes when he raised his head, Zoro briefly sparred with his inner nature, ultimately blowing out a breath in defeat. Pity had won out over hunger. He’d never seen Sanji so low, the tear the man had hurriedly brushed away on his cheek lingering in Zoro’s mind. 

He moved towards the table, jumping on top before leisurely walking onto Sanji’s lap. Zoro laid down, making himself comfortable as the man seemingly froze in shock. His legs were more muscular than he anticipated but in all, it wasn’t a bad spot. 

Moving slowly as if unsure Zoro would allow it, Sanji touched the top of Zoro’s head, relief splashing across his features when Zoro all but ignored it. 

“What’s this all about?” The man’s warm fingers were soft, beginning to dig deeper into the fur of Zoro’s neck. Warmth pooling into his chest at the pleasant sensation, Zoro leaned into Sanji’s hand, his eye closing in bliss. Unbidden, the muscles in his neck began to vibrate, a loud rumbling purr filling the rest of Zoro’s body. 

Gradually, observing him closely, Sanji put his arms around Zoro and rested his forehead against his back lightly. His voice was thick for one moment as he said, “Thank you, I needed this.”

Zoro had to admit in the months since he’d known Sanji, he was a kind human all around. Though he wouldn’t make a habit of it, Zoro decided being nice to him once in a while wouldn’t be bad. 

Sanji clearly needed the company and Zoro had time to spare. 

Perhaps together they could kill two birds with one stone. 


End file.
